Cigarette processing machine



A ril 28, 1936. G. SOLOMON CIGARETTE PROCESSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS A ril 28, 1936 SOLOMON 2,038,612

CIGARETTE PROCESSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1955 Ilm WITNESSES a $N\2ENTOR J 0 0272022 ZW J20 w BY I 5/2 W M' W ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,038,612 CIGARETTE PROCESSING MACHINE Guillermo Solomon, Santiago, Dominican Republic Application February 20, 1935, Serial No. 7,417

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for processing cigarettes, the processing consisting in compacting the tobacco filler of each cigarette, so that the filler will terminate short of one end of 5 the cigarette wrapper, and the processing to constitute a step in the manufacture of cigarettes.

The principal object of the invention is the processing of cigarettes so that each has a mouth end consisting of an empty or unfilled wrapper l portion, to eliminate the objectionable particles of tobacco which find their way into the mouth of the smoker, as occurs in smoking a cigarette with a fully filled wrapper, or one in which'the tobacco filler extends entirely from one end of its 15 wrapper to the other.

The invention resides in a machine having the features as hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which 7 20 Fig. 1 is a vertical section and partelevation of a machine embodying the features of the invention, the section being taken approximately on the line II of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

25 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a cigarette before being processed;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the cigarette after being processed.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 30 ings, it will be apparent that the machine includes cigarette feeding means designated generally by the reference numeral II]. This feeding means includes a rotor II mountedfor rotation within a casing I2 supported by legs I3. The rotor II 35 is keyed fast to a horizontal shaft I4, as at I5. The shaft I4 has its opposite ends journaled in bearings I6 respectively on opposite side walls respectively of the casing I2. The periphery of the rotor II has cigarette receiving grooves I! 4 therein spaced equi-distantly, and each being disposed parallel to the axis of rotation provided by the shaft I4; The feeding means also includes ahopper. I8 secured to or formed integral with the casing I2 as shown, with the lower dis- 45 charge end in communication with the interior of the casing I2 so as to feed one cigarette in each of the grooves ll of the rotor II, under the action of gravity, as the rotor I I is in motion. The cigarettes are designated C. The cigarettes 0 may be deposited into the hopper I8 in any suitable manner.

The cigarettes are fed successively one at a time into a cigarette guide tube 20. This is accomplished by reason of the fact that the tube is 55 secured to the casing I2 in communication with the interior thereof, the communication being established at one end of the tube 2|] as shown in Fig. 1. The tube 20 has an air inlet end 2I, and a cigarette outletend 22, the latter being flared to facilitate the discharge of the cigarettes. 5 Each of the cigarettes will be fed into the tube 20 lengthwise of the latter so as to be projected or shot in this position through the tube 20 and out of its outlet end 22.

In order to project or shoot the cigarettes 10 through the tube 20 as they are fed by the rotor I I, there is provided a blower or blast fan 23, and a connection 24 between the periphery of the fan casing and the inlet end 2I of the tube constituting means in the form of a nozzle for delivering air under pressure from the fan into the tube 20, which projects each cigarette along the tube out of its groove I'I away from the rotor II. A connection 25 between the periphery of the casing of the fan, and the tube 20, beyond the rotor II, constitutes a nozzle to deliver compressed air from the fan into the tube, to project or shoot each cigarette after leaving the rotor I I through the tube 20 and out of its outlet end against a stop 26 held in various adjusted positions in spaced relation to the outlet end 22 of the tube. In the present instance the stop 26 is secured in adjusted positions on the support 27 secured to the tube. A set screw 28 carried by the stop 26 engages the support 21 to fix the stop in the de- 30 sired position. The stop 26 presents a flat face 29. Each cigarette, as it leaves the tube 20 strikes the face 29, and as a consequence the tobacco filler will be compacted to such an extent that the filler will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper. In other words, each cigarette will have a mouth end consisting of an empty or unfilled wrapper portion, as shown in Fig. 4. The tobacco filler of the cigarette is designated 33, the wrapper 3I, and the mouth end 32.

The rotor I I and the fan may be driven by any suitable means, and in the present instance use is made of an electric motor 35, whose shaft is coupled with the fan shaft 36. Motion is transmitted from the shaft 36 to the rotor shaft I4, by the beveled gear 31 on the shaft 36, a beveled gear 38 which meshes with the gear 31, said gear 38 being mounted on a shaft 39 supported by suitable bearings 40 respectively on the fan casing and the casing I2. The shaft 39 has a worm 4| which meshes with a worm gear 42 keyed to the shaft I4.

Each of the connections 24 and 25 has a regulating valve 43 therein to regulate the velocity and pressure of the air.

The present machine may constitute an adjunct of a cigarette manufacturing machine, or a cigarette packing machine, or it may be used as a distinct entity for processing cigarettes before they are packed in their original packages.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a stop arranged in fixed relation to the outlet end of the tube, and means to shoot cigarettes one at a time lengthwise through said tube against said stop, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette Wrapper.

2. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a stop fixed in relation to the outlet end of the tube and providing a flat face perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube, and means to shoot cigarettes one at a time lengthwise through said tube against said fiat face, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

3. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a fixed stop arranged in spaced relation to the outlet end of the tube, and means to shoot cigarettes one at a time lengthwise through said tube against said stop, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

4. In a machine of the character described, a tube, means for alining one cigarette at a time lengthwise of the tube with respect to the inlet end thereof, a fixed member arranged in spaced relation to the outlet end of the tube, and means to send each cigarette alined as aforesaid, through the tube against said fixed member, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

5. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a rotor having cigarette receiving grooves in the periphery thereof for alining one cigarette at a time lengthwise of the tube with respect to the inlet end thereof, a fixed member arranged in spaced relation to the outlet end of the tube, and means to send each cigarette alined as aforesaid, through the tube agamst said fixed member, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

6. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a stop arranged in fixed relation to the outlet end of the tube, and means to shoot cigarettes one at a time lengthwise through said tube against said stop, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper, said means communicating with said tube to force air therein for the aforesaid purpose.

7. In a machine of the character described, a tube, a rotor having cigarette receiving grooves in the periphery thereof parallel to its axis of rotation, for the purpose of alining one cigarette at a time lengthwise of the tube with respect to the inlet end thereof, a fixed member arranged in spaced relation to the outlet end of the tube in alinement therewith, a blower communicating with the inlet end of the tube to force air therein to project each cigarette from the rotor through the tube against said fixed member, to compact the tobacco filler, so that it will terminate short of one end of the wrapper, and means to operate the rotor and blower.

8. In a machine of the character described, a rotor adapted for feeding cigarettes successively one at a time into a predetermined position, means co-operating with the rotor to project each cigarette endwise from said position, and means against which each projected cigarette strikes, to compact the tobacco filler thereof, so that the filler will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

9. In a machine for compacting the tobacco filler of cigarettes, so that the filler of each cigarette will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper, a cigarette guide tube, a fixed member arranged in spaced relation to the outlet end of the tube against which the cigarettes strike endwise to compact the tobacco filler, air blast means communicating with the tube axially thereof at a point remote from its outlet end, and means for feeding the cigarettes one at a time to said tube between the point .of entry of the air and the outlet end of the tube, so as to slide endwise in said tube under the action of the air blast.

10. In a cigarette processing machine, a cigarette guide tube, means to feed one cigarette at a time into the tube lengthwise thereof, air blast means, a connection between the air blast means and one terminal of the tube to deliver air thereto to project each cigarette along the tube away from the feeding means, and a second connection between the air blast means and the tube to deliver air thereto, toproject each cigarette along said tube after leaving said feeding means.

11. In a cigarette processing machine, a cigarette guide tube, means to feed one cigarette at a time into the tube lengthwise thereof, air blast means, a valved nozzle between the air blast means and one terminal of the tube to deliver air thereto to project each cigarette along the tube away from the feeding means, and a second valved nozzle between the air blast means and the tube to deliver air thereto, to project each cigarette along said tube after leaving said feeding means.

12. In a machine of the character described, a casing, a grooved rotor operable in said casing for feeding cigarettes successively one at a time into a predetermined position with respect to said casing, means connected with said casing to project each cigarette endwise from said position, and means against which one end of each projected cigarette strikes, to compact the tobacco filler thereof, so that the filler will terminate short of one end of the cigarette wrapper.

G. SOLOMON. 

